Sick
by mschweezy
Summary: After overcoming multiple hard times in his life, Gaara would have never thought that he would be taken down by a simple virus. One-shot. Image Credit: leelookido on deviantART


**Sick**

A groan escaped the Kazekage's lips as the sun shone in his eyes. He kicked the blanket off, cursing lowly as he wiped a hand over his forehead. Why the hell was it so damn hot? He tried to open his eyes, but quickly squeezed them shut as soon as he opened them, a piercing headache squeezing his brain. Just as he was about to let out a slew of curses he felt a cool cloth find rest on his boiling forehead. He let out a sigh of relief as a small smile broke on his face.

A chuckle was heard next to him, and he peaked one eye open. He saw his lovely wife sitting next to him, a comforting smile on her face.

"Good afternoon love," she greeted, stroking his hair.

He leaned into her touch for a moment until he processed what she had said. _Afternoon? Shit!_ He sat up abruptly only to have a wave of dizzying nausea punch him in the stomach.

"Woah, Gaara, you need to slow down. You're sick," Ino said soothingly as she pushed him back on to the bed.

He gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to vomit. He let her push him back onto the bed and he took a deep breath to calm his spinning head.

"Sick?" He finally croaked out, slowly opening his eyes to look into hers.

She laughed lightly and helped him into a sitting position. She nodded at his question as she retrieved another cool rag to rest on the back of his neck. "Yes, sick."

He reveled in the cooling effect the rag caused. "I've never been sick before," he breathed, still trying to stop his head from spinning.

"I know, but you're sick now, meaning you do not get to be the Kazekage today. You're too ill to be of any use to anyone," she stated simply.

His brow furrowed as he watched her stand and go to the small table in their room. "I have to go to work," he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

He watched as she rolled her eyes at his statement. "No, you _have_ to get better, and you can't get better if you're working all the damn time."

She walked back towards him, a cup of tea in her hands. She gently sat next to him and handed him the warm cup. "Here, this will help with your sore throat and the dizziness."

He nodded and sipped the warm liquid carefully. "Ino, I'm the Kazekage, I don't get to miss work because I'm sick," he pursued. He knew it was probably a fruitless battle, but he had to try.

She rolled her eyes once more. "You're also only a human Gaara, so yes; you will miss work today and maybe tomorrow if you're not better yet. I'm a doctor, and those are doctor's orders."

He glared at her slightly, "You haven't been a doctor for three years now."

She matched his glare, "And you aren't going to be the Kazekage today. Now finish your tea and go back to sleep."

"I'm not tired," he pouted, childishly.

"You will be, the medicine in your tea will make you tired," she smirked.

"You drugged me?" he accused.

Ino simply shrugged her shoulders while she took the rags resting on his forehead and neck away, submerging them into the bowl of ice water she had next to him. When she noticed his eyes still on her she looked back towards him and sighed.

"Just drink your tea Gaara, you need to sleep, and I knew you wouldn't take your medicine willingly so I slipped it into your tea. It's not like I'm poisoning you, I'm trying to get you better."

He still didn't drink his tea, opting to glare at her instead.

"I already talked to the council this morning, explaining to them that you were too ill to work today, and that there was a possibility of you not working tomorrow either. Temari and Kankuro have everything handled. So you need to sleep," she stated simply pushing his cup of tea towards his mouth.

He continued to glare at her, but drank the tea anyway. Once he finished his drink Ino smiled at him and forced him to lie back down. He wasn't going to, he had planned to get up and at least do some paperwork from home, but his eyes suddenly felt very heavy. He let his body relax as he sank into the mattress. He felt the cold wash rag on his brow and he sighed contently as he felt Ino's hands run through his hair. The last thing he could remember before he slipped into the darkness was a kiss to his temple and the muttering of, I love you.

The darkness was a nice relief. It wasn't hot in the darkness, and he wasn't dizzy anymore. His throat didn't feel raw, and it was quiet. He breathed deeply noticing the familiar smell that made him smile. _Flowers_. He never knew he would love the smell of flowers so much until he met Ino. She always smelt like flowers, even when there wasn't any flowers near her. When he asked how she could still smell of flowers even in the barren desert she had just laughed at him and told him because she _was_ a flower. He had never really understood what she meant, but it didn't matter because every time he wrapped his arms around her and buried his head into her hair he smelt flowers, he smelt her, and it always calmed him and made a smile form on his face.

He shifted in the bed as he began to wake. It wasn't bright anymore, the sun was in the process of setting as he opened his eyes. He looked around to see an empty room. He slowly sat up and realized the dizziness he had felt earlier was gone. He was still hot, but it wasn't unbearable anymore. Before he could think anymore, that familiar smell entered the room. He looked towards the door to see Ino walking towards him carrying a tray with her.

She smiled at him as she placed the tray on the bedside table. She sat next to him and placed her hand on his forehead. Her mouth was pulled to the side as she felt the heat come off his forehead. "You still have a fever," she clicked her tongue as she pulled her hand away to put the tray onto his lap. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm not dizzy anymore," he said as he grabbed the spoon on the tray.

She smiled as she placed a cool rag on the back of his neck. "Good, how does your throat feel?"

He swallowed the soup in his mouth and smiled slightly at her, "Better."

"Good," she smiled as she stood and went to leave the room.

"Wait," he called, causing her to turn back and look at him curiously.

"Sit with me?" he asked.

She giggled before answering, "Let me go turn the stove off first. Finish your soup love, and then I'll come and sit with you."

He smiled and nodded as he watched her leave. He finished his soup quickly and turned his attention to the setting sun. He watched the bright colors cover the normally dull looking sand. His thoughts turned to his lovely wife, and he remember when he met her for the first time after the war had finally ended.

How she had joked with him and treated him like someone she had known for years. How she would always include him in everything the Konoha ninja were doing. How when she had missions in Suna she would insist on doing her paperwork in his office with him, and force him to meals everyday. Saying he needed to take better care of himself, clucking her tongue. How much it hurt when he realized he loved her and she had to return to Konoha. How he avoided her so maybe, just maybe his feelings would just disappear so he could go back to just being the Kazekage, and not being the Kazekage longing for a blonde haired whirlwind of a woman. How she returned to Suna, a frown on her face as she asked if he was going to make a damn move yet before she stepped forward and kissed him.

He smirked at the memory. Since that day he hadn't let go of her. He would never make that mistake again. He loved her more than anything, and he knew he would never love anyone or anything as much as he loved Subaku no Ino.

When she entered the room once more she saw that he had finished his soup and was staring out the window, watching the sun set with a small smile on his face.

She walked around the bed and crawled into it, crawling over to him. He turned and smiled at her, his eyes drooping slightly. She chuckled and laid down, pulling him down with her. He rested his head on her chest and sighed contently. She ran her fingers through his hair as he played with the ends of her hair.

"I love you Ino," he said softly.

"I love you too Kaze-kun," she answered.

"Thank you for saving me," he whispered, closing his eyes and listening to her steady breaths.

She chuckled, "Saving you? You have a little virus love, you aren't dying."

He lifted his body up and looked into her eyes, "That's not what I meant. I meant saving me from being alone for the rest of my life. Showing me that I can be loved and I can love. Saving me from myself."

Ino's smile softened as she rested a hand on his cheek. "You always say that I saved you, but I don't think you realize how much you saved me too Gaara." She pulled his face to hers and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

He smiled into the kiss, deepening it before they were interrupted by their bedroom door being flung open.

"Oh gross! I thought you were sick, but I guess you just decided to skip work so you could bone your wife," Kankuro groaned from the door.

Gaara growled as he sat up in his bed and glared at his brother. Ino just laughed as she rolled her eyes, sitting up in the bed as well.

"What do you want Kankuro?" Gaara asked, anger evident in his voice.

Kankuro smirked as he walked towards the bed, handing a scroll to Gaara. "This came from Konoha, and I thought you'd like to read it."

Ino's brow furrowed slightly, "Is everything okay?"

Kankuro's attention turned to the blonde and he nodded, "Yeah, nothing too important. Just some celebration talk."

Ino nodded and crawled out of bed as Gaara read the scroll. She grabbed the tray of dishes and took them to the kitchen. When she returned Gaara was writing a return letter as Kankuro sat in one of the chairs in their room, flipping through a magazine.

"What's the problem?" Ino asked as she rested her hand against Gaara's forehead seeing if his fever had broken yet.

She smiled when he didn't feel hot to the touch anymore. Gaara looked up after he signed the scroll, rolling it tightly and putting a seal on it to keep it closed. "Naruto was requesting to hold the United Shinobi Celebration in Konoha again this year," Gaara asked as he motioned to Kankuro to come and grab the scroll, which he did.

Ino furrowed her brow in confusion as she walked towards the small table with the tea on it. "Why? We had the celebration there last year, it's supposed to be in Kumo this year," she asked as she mixed Gaara's medicine with his tea.

"Because he doesn't want Sakura traveling so close to her due date," Kankuro answered simply.

Ino nodded her head. "Oh, well that makes sense. Pregnant women really shouldn't travel—wait, what?!" Ino exclaimed, whipping her head around to stare at her husband and brother-in-law.

"It seems Sakura is pregnant," Gaara answered smiling at his wife's reaction.

"Oh my gosh! She's pregnant?! That little shit! Why didn't she tell me?!" Ino growled, grabbing the scroll addressed to the Kazekage.

"Oh yeah, this scroll came for you today Ino," Kankuro smiled as he pulled out another scroll from his robes.

Ino snatched the scroll from his hand and hit him lightly with it. "What the shit Kankuro?!" She growled at him.

He lifted his hands to shield himself. "Sorry I guess I forgot when I was assaulted with the disgusting sight of you two making out."

She glared at him again as she broke the seal. "Well maybe next time you'll knock," she scoffed before she read the scroll in her hands.

Gaara watched her expression turn from annoyed to exuberant in less than a second, bringing a smile to his face. She was so expressive and that was just another thing he loved about her. Kankuro saw the smile on his brother's face and just chuckled as he took the scroll Gaara had handed him and stored it in his robes. Ino may be slightly crazy, but at least she made his brother happy, and that was all that mattered. He looked back at the two once more, Ino completely absorbed in the letter from her best friend, and Gaara completely absorbed in Ino. He smirked and left the two quietly.

Ino finished the letter and let out a squeal. She looked at her smiling husband and smiled back. "I can't believe she's pregnant! She's going to make such a great mother, and Naruto is obviously going to make an amazing father."

Gaara nodded as he watched her go back to the tea, stirring it once more. She brought the tea to him and he thanked her as he took a sip of it. She sat down next to him and let out a breath. "She's pregnant," she repeated.

He nodded once more, "It would seem that way."

She looked at her husband a pure smile on her face, joy shinning in her eyes. He returned the smile as he finished his tea. He patted the spot next to him, and she crawled next to him. Getting comfortable and pulling the blanket over her body as she laid down. He turned the lamp off next to their bed before laying down next to her. She cuddled up next to him, her head resting on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her.

She lifted her body slightly so she could look at her husband's face, a smirk crossing her lips. He raised an eyebrow, questioning her actions.

"Well I can't let Forehead girl win," she began, her hand snaking up his chest to play with his hair. "Once you're well again we'll just have to get busy on this whole baby thing."

Gaara's other eyebrow rose as she spoke. He smirked suggestively at her before capturing her lips with his. He flipped her onto her back easily and she let out a loud laugh. She smiled at the man hovering over her. "I said when you're better you dork," she laughed as she hit his chest lightly.

"Well luckily for you I heal very quickly," Gaara smirked as he placed small kisses on her cheek and neck.

Ino continued to laugh, pulling his face towards her own and kissing him before locking eyes with him, "That was when you had a raccoon demon inside of you."

He laughed before resting his forehead against hers, and staring deeply into her blue-blue eyes. "Do you really want to have my child?" He asked, his voice soft and unsure.

She smiled, and brought her hands to cup his face. "Of course I do. I love you with all my heart Gaara, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

He smiled in return and placed a kiss on her lips before laying next to her and pulling her towards him. "I love you with all my heart too Ino," he whispered as he placed a kiss on the top of her head.

She smiled as she curled into him, "I know love, now get some sleep so you can get better."

He nodded as he closed his eyes and listened to Ino's steady breathing. Thinking about what she had said only minutes earlier. He drifted off to sleep dreaming of a Ino smiling down at a small bundle held in her arms.

* * *

 _Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! Sorry for any spelling or grammar errors, I always proofread, but something always seems to get past it. Thank you again for reading, I really appreciate it!_


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